It's okay to be just okay
What I’ve been feeling lately is a lot of nothing.
No big highs or terrible lows.
Just a plateau, a sense of just being okay.
Okay.
When did being okay become synonymous with bad?
Being okay is actually a relief. In a world that has been turned upside down and inside out, being on an even keel is a blessing. It takes a lot of energy to sustain prolonged negativity or positivity. And what I’m feeling now is like a period of rest.
Being okay is a break from being harried or pumped or jazzed and tormented. It’s an opportunity for my body, mind, and spirit to take a much needed vacation. A chance to be and let what’s about to unfold, just happen, without me needing to jump in and try to control the outcome.
I used to worry when I entered into my ‘okay’ periods. I felt I needed to do something, to feel something, to be engaged in the intensity of life. Okay was something I avoided at all costs because I felt like I needed to fix me. So, I could be great, awesome, amazing, or unbelievable.
When a friend asks how you’re doing, you want to answer in the positive. Saying “I’m okay” invokes in them a response of – ‘oohh something’s not right, what can I do to fix it’. Being okay doesn’t mean you need fixing- it just means that you’re in a period of rest. A time to bob and float, which when you picture those words with sunshine, a lake, and an inner tube, brings to mind a wonderful relaxing experience.
We weren’t made to be in hyper drive all the time.
The level of energy it takes to maintain that intensity is crazy and you’ll soon be depleted and exhausted. Yes, there are times life is stupendous and the positive energy flows like a lightening current, when those moments come, breathe in and enjoy the ride. But don’t try to force yourself to live there constantly, be authentic and own how you feel, and if it’s okay, embrace that too.
Embrace your okayness.
Don’t shove it aside but relish in the fact that you’ve been granted a grace period from life’s turbulence and uncertainty, from extreme highs and lows. It’s a respite, a chance to allow your energy to re-calibrate, and for you to breathe with ease.
Think of being okay as that comfortable, yet unfashionable pair of jeans you wear when you’re alone in your home. It doesn’t matter that the hems are frayed, or the thighs are thread bare. You’re at ease, there’s no pressure to be something you’re not, and you feel right in your skin.
It’s okay to just be okay.
In fact, it’s a place you should relish, because it means that the Universe is giving you a rest, so you can embrace what comes next. Whether it’s a high or a low, you’ll meet it- well rested and ready.